New Nuclear Weapons & Bunker Busters

Advocates say nuclear bunker busters are needed to penetrate rock layers above storage sites in underground tunnels. But most effects of the weapon are above ground. Artist's sketch. Not to scale. FAS / John Kocon Art

Nuclear advocates claim we need new weapons and new nuclear capabilities. The Administration is asking for money for research on so-called 'small' nuclear weapons but remember: for nuclear weapons 'small' is one-third the size of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.

The Administration is also asking for funds for development of an earth-penetrating nuclear warhead, often called a 'bunker-buster.' These are not just variants of the precision-guided conventional bombs that worked so well on Baghdad buildings and Afghan caves. The earth-penetrator program is modifying an existing high yield nuclear weapon so it can penetrate a few meters into rock.

But nuclear weapons are not good at busting bunkers or destroying chemical and biological weapons stored underground, as advocates claim. And they create severe fallout above ground. In any event the primary limitation on destroying underground bunkers is intelligence, not munitions.

Are there valid missions for nuclear bunker busters?
In this excerpt from his new report Nuclear Missions after the Cold War, Ivan Oelrich weighs claims that underground biological, chemical and nuclear weapons caches require nuclear bunker busters to destroy them.

New Nuclear Weapons
One of the key debates relating to nuclear weapons policy in the United States is whether the U.S. will pursue new nuclear weapons designs that might have enhanced capabilities. In particular debate is currently centered around an earth-penetrating nuclear weapon and a low-yield nuclear weapon.

Earth Penetrating Warheads Against Deep Targets
The Administration is asking for funds for research on high-yield robust nuclear earth penetrators (RNEP). This FAS report shows that there is no sensible tactical requirement for these weapons, countermeasures are obvious and easy, and they would create large swaths of deadly fallout.